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Horoscope Today, December 30: Gemini to complete pending EMI's; know about other zodiac signsFrom wealth and success to murder suspect, the life of Luigi Mangione took a hard turn

Japan's education ministry has urged that school trips be planned for the off-season due to a recent labor shortage in transportation and accommodations amid a boom in inbound tourism, according to sources familiar with the matter. Schools tend to have their trips between May and June or from September to December, according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Avoiding peak travel seasons would benefit schools as they would not need to suddenly change schedules due to the unavailability of charter buses or hotels. The ministry sent notices on Dec 12 to education boards and schools after the bus and travel industries requested its cooperation regarding the scheduling of school trips. "The recent acute labor shortage makes it difficult for schools to secure charter buses and accommodations," the ministry said in the notice, urging more flexible timing. The most popular travel season for junior high schools in fiscal 2023 was May, while that for high schools was October, according to a survey by the Japan School Tours Bureau, a nonprofit private organization. Many schools decide timing of their trips based on annual academic schedules and weather, with Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Okinawa prefectures among the favored destinations. There has been a shortage in bus driver availability since the government earlier this year restricted their working hours to improve conditions, with some schools opting for trains instead.Fulton Financial Co. ( NASDAQ:FULTP – Get Free Report ) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, December 17th, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.3203 per share on Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.30%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. Fulton Financial Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ:FULTP opened at $20.34 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $20.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $19.26. Fulton Financial has a 12-month low of $16.57 and a 12-month high of $21.22. Fulton Financial Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) See Also Receive News & Ratings for Fulton Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fulton Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

LONDON (AP) — Barely a month after quitting international rugby , former England prop Joe Marler has brought forward his retirement plans and will end his time in the sport completely this week. Marler's last match will be for Harlequins, his team since 2009, at home to Bristol in the English league on Friday. The 34-year-old Marler had indicated he would continue playing club rugby until the end of the season. He has made 285 appearances for Harlequins since arriving in 2009 and retires with two English league winners medals. “The time has come to finally jump off the rollercoaster and walk away from this beautifully brutal game,” he said Wednesday. The charismatic Marler announced on Nov. 3 that his 95-cap test career was over, days after he left England’s camp ahead of the November internationals because of personal reasons. He had baited New Zealand in the build-up to England's first autumn test match by criticizing the Haka, stating on social media that it is “ridiculous” and “needs binning." He later apologized for the comments. AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugbyTrump Transition Says Cabinet Picks, Appointees Targeted by Bomb Threats, Swatting AttacksOntario NDP Leader Marit Stiles has likened physician recruitment efforts among municipalities to “The Hunger Games,” a dystopian series by novelist Suzanne Collins in which the protagonists must compete for survival. The current situation in Niagara over family doctors pits town against town, with competitors offering incentives in the form of cash bonuses to lure physicians to their underserviced communities. And the competition has become fierce. Welland Mayor Frank Campion said his city has no plans of changing a physician recruitment strategy that is clearly working, despite increasing calls to eliminate competition between Niagara’s municipalities. After incentives of $100,000 each have so far brought 10 new family doctors to Welland in the past 12 months — far exceeding recruitment efforts in other parts of the region — Campion said the city’s physician recruitment initiative was recently funded for a second year in the hope of bringing 10 more doctors to the underserviced city. While other municipalities also provide incentives to physicians coming in from out of the region who agree to work in the municipality for at least five years, Welland offers top dollar. Fort Erie and Port Colborne offer incentives of $75,000 each per doctor, Niagara Falls offers $50,000, Niagara-on-the-Lake offers $25,000 and St. Catharines provides incentives of $5,000. Meanwhile, neighbouring municipalities are now offering or considering new incentives in the hope of competing with the Rose City to bring new family physicians to other communities in a region that is short roughly 100 family doctors. Lincoln council voted last week to offer $25,000 incentives to family physicians who set up practices in town for at least five years, after recently losing incoming doctors to communities that offer incentives. Thorold councillors, too, last week asked city staff to develop a report looking into strategies to recruit four family physicians to the city that may include financial incentives. Despite concerns the incentives are creating competition between Niagara’s municipalities, Campion said the city is “continuing on with our program.” Welland Mayor Frank Campion. “We approved another million dollars in funding for it this year to attempt to get 10 more doctors, getting us closer to the number that we need. It’s certainly not all the way there, but we’re hopeful we will be able to get more,” he said. Campion said the $100,000 incentives are “certainly a big part” of the city’s success, “but it isn’t the only reason we’re successful.” He said ensuring incoming physicians have a variety of locations to set up their practices, as well as an abundance of patients to draw from has helped, as well as the assistance of Niagara Region physician recruiter Jill Croteau. “Welland is a great place to set up an office. We have clientele for them and it’s a growing community and that’s attractive to physicians as well.” The city’s success, however, has also led to concerns from political representatives in other communities, calling for a more collaborative approach to physician recruitment. Niagara Falls Coun. Ruth-Ann Nieuwesteeg expressed concerns about competition and escalating incentives during a recent city council meeting. “We’ve been hearing a lot about doctor recruitment because there’s such a shortage and what we’re seeing in our region is every different municipality upping the other one, trying to get a doctor or to recruit doctors for that municipality,” she said during the Oct. 22 council meeting,” she said. Niagara Falls city Coun. Ruth-Ann Nieuwesteeg. “I’d like to put a (notice of) motion that we instruct maybe our CAO to work with the other municipalities to come up with a clever and creative collaborative approach to it instead of just, Welland does 50 or we do 75 and look at things that are a different way of attracting (physicians).” She said there are probably alternatives to increasing financial incentives. “I don’t know how that would work, but I’d like to see if we can have our CAO meet with the other CAOs and figure out, instead of competing with one another, work together and then get people to come to Niagara region,” she said. “We go between cities all the time, so whatever we can do to get the doctors here — I think it’s something that we need to look at collaboratively and creatively.” Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini said Niagara Region is bringing lower-tier municipalities together next week for a meeting in the hope of addressing concerns about competition among municipalities offering incentives to bring doctors to their respective communities. Mayors and chief administrative officers from each of Niagara’s municipalities were invited to meet with regional family physician recruiter Croteau on Tuesday, to discuss a collaborative approach to luring family physicians to the region rather than competing against one another. Ugulini said the meeting is being held to “try and get everybody working together, because we don’t want to start working against one another.” Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini. “I think everybody is willing to put skin in the game, it’s just getting everyone on the same page,” Ugulini said. Campion said he looks forward to attending the meeting, but it won’t change Welland’s direction. “People can make all the suggestions they want, but council approved the program and put funding to it, so that’s not going to change,” he said. “No matter what suggestions might come forward we’re committed to this program for the year and we’re not going to turn back on it.” Although Fort Erie offers incentives, Mayor Wayne Redekop said municipalities are being forced to do so because “successive provincial governments have failed to address” the shortage of family physicians across Ontario. “Municipalities will do what they have to do, and they will continue to try to make sure their residents have access to primary care, which means doctors, nurse practitioners and maybe some physician assistants,” he said. “There are a number of solutions, but it all really boils down to the provincial government.” He said the delivery of health care is a provincial responsibility, and “you can’t be putting some of these expenses and responsibilities on the backs of municipalities and the property owners. It’s not sustainable.” Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop. Redekop said the province has made efforts to address the shortage, such as increasing medical school enrolment, but it “nowhere near meets the need that we have.” “I know they’ve looked at other policies to try to take the pressure off of family physicians, but they really need to be encouraging more people to go into family medicine,” he said. “They need to be providing better supports.” Redekop said the province also needs to develop a much more streamlined system to pay family physicians, because “right now there are about five separate funding models, all of which make it very confusing.” Discussing health care during a recent visit to Niagara, Stiles made “The Hunger Games” reference. “It really does create this ‘Hunger Games’ environment, which is really unfortunate,” Stiles said. “I don’t think any municipality wants to be playing that game, but they feel they have no choice.” She said it also means smaller communities without the tax base to draw large incentives from get left behind. “The saddest thing about it is there are communities that can’t afford to play that game, to get involved at all, and they’re just as deserving as anyone else,” she said. “This is what has happened as a result of both Liberal and Conservative governments failing to plan forward for what we knew was coming, which was a retirement crisis among our family physicians, an aging population with more complex needs. And here we are.” Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch agreed. “There are only so many doctors. All we’re doing is pushing up how much incentives are being offered, and that’s definitely not the solution. It puts a lot of pressure on municipalities that are already under a great deal of pressure,” he said. He said putting municipalities in a position where they need to offer incentives to recruit physicians is downloading a provincial responsibility. “It’s all like a downloading on municipalities that are already so overworked.” “We need to let municipalities do their work, and health care is a provincial responsibility,” he said. “Making sure there are enough doctors so all municipalities can have an adequate number of doctors has to be a priority and it has to be a provincial responsibility, not a municipal one.” Minister of health spokesperson Hannah Jensen listed several of the investments in primary health care that have been made by the provincial government since 2018, including the recent expansion of a grant for medical school students “who commit to practising family medicine when they graduate. It is estimated that the total investment will enable the connection of an additional 1.36 million people to primary care.” Campion said physician recruitment is also an economic development issue, and that falls within the city’s jurisdiction. He said the city’s initiative is being led by its economic development department, making the community more attractive to investors who are looking for communities that have the services their workers will need — including medical services. “Those are all things that attract businesses and you’re creating jobs,” Campion said. “Municipalities should be stepping up and trying to attract physicians because it’s for the betterment of their own community. That’s why we’re doing it.” St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens said the family physician shortage has been “a real hot topic” discussed almost daily at Queen’s Park, with estimates that as many as 2.5 million people across the province are without a family doctor. “Every question period, we’re hearing that number echo through the chambers,” she said. While calling recruitment efforts by local municipalities “great news,” Stevens said they shouldn’t be forced into that situation in the first place. She said the province should be offering the incentives to recruit physicians, not municipalities. “I think all cities should be commended for stepping up, but it’s not the municipalities’ job to be taking on the burden. It’s a provincial matter.” Jensen, however, said the government is also offering thousands of dollars in incentives to help bring family physicians to some of the most underserviced areas in Ontario. “Our government supports physician recruitment in communities across the province through programs like the Practice Ready Ontario program, the Northern Ontario Resident Streamlined Training and Reimbursement Program, and the Northern and Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative,” Jensen said. — With files by Ray SpiteriNone

The most comprehensive guidance to the application of solar tape 11-26-2024 10:34 PM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: ABNewswire The Role of Adhesive Tapes in Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Adhesive tapes play a critical role in various aspects of solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing. From bonding module frames, securing back supports, and protecting edges to organizing conductive wires, insulating busbars, and temporarily sealing laminations, different types of adhesive tapes are integral to ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and longevity of PV modules. Solar Frame Bonding Double-sided PE foam tape is a cornerstone for achieving high-quality, reliable adhesion in solar module frames. Its PE foam substrate offers an ideal combination of flexibility and internal strength, while the optimized acrylic adhesive ensures secure bonding to most backsheet materials. The application process is straightforward and efficient, enhancing production workflows. 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Recommended Tape: Matte Black Single-Sided Tape (PET Tape) Key Benefits: Protective sealing and durability Water resistance and reduced breakage Fixing and Aligning Solar Cells During the lamination process, solar cells must remain securely positioned, and wire harnesses should be neatly aligned. PET tape is ideal for this purpose as it provides excellent UV resistance and anti-aging properties, critical for long-term reliability. Recommended Tape: PET Tape Key Benefits: Maintains cell alignment during lamination Fixes and insulates solar ribbons in thin-film modules Organizing Junction Box WiresLoose wiring at the back of PV modules poses risks to product quality and installation safety. MOPP tape provides superior instant adhesion for securely fastening wire harnesses to various backsheet materials. Even after extended overseas transport, it remains easy to remove without leaving residue. 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Recommended Tape: PET Light-Blocking Tape Key Benefits: High adhesive strength Heat resistance and clean removal Broad compatibility with different backsheet materials Conclusion Adhesive tapes are indispensable in the solar photovoltaic industry, providing efficient, reliable, and long-lasting solutions for module assembly and protection. Whether for bonding frames, protecting edges, or managing electrical components, each tape type offers specific advantages tailored to the demands of modern PV module production. By integrating advanced adhesive technologies, manufacturers can ensure the durability, performance, and safety of solar modules in even the most challenging environments. Media Contact Company Name: Dongguan new Youwei adhesive products Co., Ltd. Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=the-most-comprehensive-guidance-to-the-application-of-solar-tape ] Country: China Website: https://www.uwtapes.com/ This release was published on openPR.

CONWAY, Ark., Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Home BancShares, Inc. (NYSE: HOMB) ("Home” or "the Company”), and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Centennial Bank ("Centennial”), announced it has established additional reserves for loan losses as a result of Hurricane Milton. On October 11, 2024, HOMB announced a $16.7 million reserve as a result of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall September 26, 2024. Upon announcement HOMB indicated the more recent and powerful Hurricane Milton, which made landfall on October 9, 2024, and caused the spin-off of more than two dozen tornados, would likely lead to an increase in this reserve amount. "Out of an abundance of caution, HOMB has decided to make an additional $16.7 million reserve following the second Florida hurricane, bringing our total hurricane reserve to $33.4 million for the year,” said John Allison, Chairman of HOMB. "The two hurricanes spanned across the third and fourth quarter and the amount of time it takes for customers to settle with insurance will no doubt increase, with two back-to-back events,” continued Allison. "We have approximately $110 million currently on deferral as a result of the two hurricanes and in keeping with our conservative nature, we feel as though this proactive move is a prudent and predictable course of action,” added Allison. Branches The Company currently has 76 branches in Arkansas, 78 branches in Florida, 58 branches in Texas, 5 branches in Alabama and one branch in New York City. About Home BancShares Home BancShares, Inc. is a bank holding company, headquartered in Conway, Arkansas. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Centennial Bank, provides a broad range of commercial and retail banking plus related financial services to businesses, real estate developers, investors, individuals and municipalities. Centennial Bank has branch locations in Arkansas, Florida, Texas, South Alabama and New York City. The Company's common stock is traded through the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "HOMB.” The Company was founded in 1998. Visit www.homebancshares.com or www.my100bank.com for more information. General This release contains forward-looking statements regarding the Company's plans, expectations, goals and outlook for the future, including future financial results. Statements in this press release that are not historical facts should be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events, performance or results. When we use words or phrases like "may,” "plan,” "propose,” "contemplate,” "anticipate,” "believe,” "intend,” "continue,” "expect,” "project,” "predict,” "estimate,” "could,” "should,” "would,” "on track” and similar expressions, you should consider them as identifying forward-looking statements, although we may use other phrasing. Forward-looking statements of this type speak only as of the date of this news release. By nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Various factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following: economic conditions, credit quality, interest rates, loan demand, real estate values and unemployment, including the ongoing impacts of inflation; the ability to identify, complete and successfully integrate new acquisitions; the risk that expected cost savings and other benefits from acquisitions may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; diversion of management time on acquisition-related issues; the availability of and access to capital and liquidity on terms acceptable to us; legislative and regulatory changes and risks and expenses associated with current and future legislation and regulations; technological changes and cybersecurity risks and incidents; the effects of changes in accounting policies and practices; changes in governmental monetary and fiscal policies; political instability, military conflicts and other major domestic or international events; the impact of recent or future adverse weather events, including hurricanes, and other natural disasters; disruptions, uncertainties and related effects on credit quality, liquidity and other aspects of our business and operations that may result from any future public health crises; competition from other financial institutions; potential claims, expenses and other adverse effects related to current or future litigation, regulatory examinations or other government actions; potential increases in deposit insurance assessments, increased regulatory scrutiny or market disruptions resulting from financial challenges in the banking industry; changes in the assumptions used in making the forward-looking statements; and other factors described in reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC”), including those factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2024. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Townsell Director of Investor Relations Home BancShares, Inc. (501) 328-4625Hammer and axe-wielding suspect wanted over attempted pub ATM cash snatchTop Japan defense firms saw revenue increase 35% in 2023: think tank

Bread Financial Holdings Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitorsSeveral Illinois school districts will be receiving millions in federal grant dollars to purchase electric school buses to replace gas-powered ones, Board of Education officials said. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced on December 19 that it had been awarded a $19.9 million grant from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative “made possible by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.” The initiative, called the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant (CHDV) program, is doling out more than $400 million to communities across the country in areas that have been designated as being in “non-attainment” with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The nearly $20 million will be distributed to nine Illinois school districts in order to replace 70 traditional school buses with “zero-emission” electric buses, as well as to install electric vehicle charging stations for each new bus and to conduct workforce training to “support these new technologies,” the ISBE said. WATCH — LIVE: How Biden’s Green Energy, Electric Vehicle Push Is Hurting Americans: “With this funding, we’re building on our progress toward a more sustainable future by providing nine school districts with the resources to advance our clean energy goals,” Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) said in the press release. “Through the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Duty Grant program, these districts will receive electric school buses, charging infrastructure, and workforce training — reducing harmful emissions and improving air quality. Thanks to our federal and local partners, we’re creating healthier and cleaner environments for students and communities across the state.” WATCH — Don’t Trust Electric Vehicles! E-Bike Shop Engulfed in Flames After Battery Explodes: “Clean transportation solutions not only create healthier living and learning environments for our students but also save money for our school districts and taxpayers,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “I am proud of our staff here at the Illinois State Board of Education for winning this competitive grant and securing this valuable investment in Illinois’ clean energy future.” Forest Park School District 91 will get five new buses, Franklin Park School District 84 will get three, Hazel Crest School District 152.5 will get one, Joliet Township High School District 204 will get ten, Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103 will get four, Marengo Union Elementary CSD 165 will get two, Township High School District 113 will get three, Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C will get a whopping 32 buses, and Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 will also get 10. The grant money will also fund two full-time ISBE employees who will be working to “support grant implementation” and “other green energy initiatives,” the board stated.

— Oct. 1, 1924: James Earl Carter Jr. is born in Plains, Georgia, son of James Sr. and Lillian Gordy Carter. — June 1946: Carter graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy. — July 1946: Carter marries Rosalynn Smith, in Plains. They have four children, John William (“Jack”), born 1947; James Earl 3rd (“Chip”), 1950; Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), 1952; and Amy Lynn, 1967. — 1946-1953: Carter serves in a Navy nuclear submarine program, attaining rank of lieutenant commander. — Summer 1953: Carter resigns from the Navy, returns to Plains after father’s death. — 1953-1971: Carter helps run the family peanut farm and warehouse business. — 1963-1966: Carter serves in the Georgia state Senate. — 1966: Carter tries unsuccessfully for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. — November 1970: Carter is elected governor of Georgia. Serves 1971-75. — Dec. 12, 1974: Carter announces a presidential bid. Atlanta newspaper answers with headline: “Jimmy Who?” — January 1976: Carter leads the Democratic field in Iowa, a huge campaign boost that also helps to establish Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus. — July 1976: Carter accepts the Democratic nomination and announces Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota as running mate. — November 1976: Carter defeats President Gerald R. Ford, winning 51% of the vote and 297 electoral votes to Ford’s 240. — January 1977: Carter is sworn in as the 39th president of the United States. On his first full day in office, he pardons most Vietnam-era draft evaders. —September 1977: U.S. and Panama sign treaties to return the Panama Canal back to Panama in 1999. Senate narrowly ratifies them in 1978. — September 1978: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Carter sign Camp David accords, which lead to a peace deal between Egypt and Israel the following year. — June 15-18, 1979: Carter attends a summit with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev in Vienna that leads to the signing of the SALT II treaty. — November 1979: Iranian militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 hostages. All survive and are freed minutes after Carter leaves office in January 1981. — April 1980: The Mariel boatlift begins, sending tens of thousands of Cubans to the U.S. Many are criminals and psychiatric patients set free by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, creating a major foreign policy crisis. — April 1980: An attempt by the U.S. to free hostages fails when a helicopter crashes into a transport plane in Iran, killing eight servicemen. — Nov. 4, 1980: Carter is denied a second term by Ronald Reagan, who wins 51.6% of the popular vote to 41.7% for Carter and 6.7% to independent John Anderson. — 1982: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter co-found The Carter Center in Atlanta, whose mission is to resolve conflicts, protect human rights and prevent disease around the world. — September 1984: The Carters spend a week building Habitat for Humanity houses, launching what becomes the annual Carter Work Project. — October 1986: A dedication is held for The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta. The center includes the Carter Presidential Library and Museum and Carter Center offices. — 1989: Carter leads the Carter Center’s first election monitoring mission, declaring Panamanian Gen. Manuel Noriega’s election fraudulent. — May 1992: Carter meets with Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev at the Carter Center to discuss forming the Gorbachev Foundation. — June 1994: Carter plays a key role in North Korea nuclear disarmament talks. — September 1994: Carter leads a delegation to Haiti, arranging terms to avoid a U.S. invasion and return President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. — December 1994: Carter negotiates tentative cease-fire in Bosnia. — March 1995: Carter mediates cease-fire in Sudan’s war with southern rebels. — September 1995: Carter travels to Africa to advance the peace process in more troubled areas. — December 1998: Carter receives U.N. Human Rights Prize on 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. — August 1999: President Bill Clinton awards Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter the Presidential Medal of Freedom. — September 2001: Carter joins former Presidents Ford, Bush and Clinton at a prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington after Sept. 11 attacks. — April 2002: Carter’s book “An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood” chosen as finalist for Pulitzer Prize in biography. — May 2002: Carter visits Cuba and addresses the communist nation on television. He is the highest-ranking American to visit in decades. — Dec. 10, 2002: Carter is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” — July 2007: Carter joins The Elders, a group of international leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to focus on global issues. — Spring 2008: Carter remains officially neutral as Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton battle each other for the Democratic presidential nomination. — April 2008: Carter stirs controversy by meeting with the Islamic militant group Hamas. — August 2010: Carter travels to North Korea as the Carter Center negotiates the release of an imprisoned American teacher. — August 2013: Carter joins President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton at the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech and the March on Washington. — Oct. 1, 2014: Carter celebrates his 90th birthday. — December 2014: Carter is nominated for a Grammy in the best spoken word album category, for his book “A Call To Action.” — May 2015: Carter returns early from an election observation visit in Guyana — the Carter Center’s 100th — after feeling unwell. — August 2015: Carter has a small cancerous mass removed from his liver. He plans to receive treatment at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. — August 2015: Carter announces that his grandson Jason Carter will chair the Carter Center governing board. — March 6, 2016: Carter says an experimental drug has eliminated any sign of his cancer, and that he needs no further treatment. — May 25, 2016: Carter steps back from a “front-line” role with The Elders to become an emeritus member. — July 2016: Carter is treated for dehydration during a Habitat for Humanity build in Canada. — Spring 2018: Carter publishes “Faith: A Journey for All,” the last of 32 books. — March 22, 2019: Carter becomes the longest-lived U.S. president, surpassing President George H.W. Bush, who died in 2018. — September 18, 2019: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter deliver their final in-person annual report at the Carter Center. — October 2019: At 95, still recovering from a fall, Carter joins the Work Project with Habitat for Humanity in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s the last time he works personally on the annual project. — Fall 2019-early 2020: Democratic presidential hopefuls visit, publicly embracing Carter as a party elder, a first for his post-presidency. — November 2020:The Carter Center monitors an audit of presidential election results in the state of Georgia, marking a new era of democracy advocacy within the U.S. — Jan. 20, 2021: The Carters miss President Joe Biden’s swearing-in, the first presidential inauguration they don’t attend since Carter’s own ceremony in 1977. The Bidens later visit the Carters in Plains on April 29. — Feb. 19, 2023: Carter enters home hospice care after a series of short hospital stays. — July 7, 2023: The Carters celebrate their 77th and final wedding anniversary. — Nov. 19, 2023: Rosalynn Carter dies at home, two days after the family announced that she had joined the former president in receiving hospice care. — Oct. 1, 2024 — Carter becomes the first former U.S. president to reach 100 years of age , celebrating at home with extended family and close friends. — Oct. 16, 2024 — Carter casts a Georgia mail ballot for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, having told his family he wanted to live long enough to vote for her. It marks his 21st presidential election as a voter. — Dec. 29, 2024: Carter dies at home.Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager have a plan in place for the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade . “Last year, Hoda and I came up with this secret symbol, which was Hoda brushing her teeth with a finger,” Bush Hager, 43, said on the Wednesday episode of “Today With Hoda & Jenna.” Kotb, 60, added that the symbol was an “indicator that I was thinking of Jenna.” This Thanksgiving will mark the last holiday that the fourth hour “Today” co-hosts celebrate on air as Kotb is set to exit the show in early 2025. The anchor shared she has another sweet signal planned for the parade. “I’ve been thinking, like, ‘What could it possibly be?’ And there’s only one thing it could be,” Kotb said, noting she’ll be replicating a dance move from Matt Rogers’ “RockaFellaCenta” music video . In the track, Rogers, 34, sings, “I wanna see Jenna Bush Hager come out the building / Because that’s where she works.” As he belts out the lyric in the music video, his “Las Culturistas” podcast co-host, Bowen Yang, shakes his arms as they dance with Kotb and Bush Hager. “So, whenever I see Jenna, I go like this [ dances ],” she continued before busting a move. Bush Hager echoed her bestie’s sentiments: “We do it together. It’s sort of our call sign.” And Bush Hager is sure to stay glued to the television after missing Kotb’s gesture last year. “Our [Christmas] tree fell over at the beginning of the parade with all the stuff on it,” the anchor confessed. “I had paused [the parade] because I was looking for [Hoda’s signal], and somebody texted me and tons [social media users said], ‘Hey Jenna, go, go. She did it, she did it.’ So then, we got to watch.” Bush Hager shared a sweet shout-out on social media, posting a screenshot of Kotb pretending to wipe lipstick off her teeth from last year’s parade broadcast. “What a true one @hodakotb! Her secret sign!!!” she captioned her 2023 Instagram post. A month later, Rogers and Yang, 34, appeared on “ Hoda & Jenna ” to perform their cheeky holiday track live. “It’s the giving season, you guys. I’m giving you a theme song. I’m like, ‘What can I do to offer back to the culture?’” Rogers told the duo when it came to what inspired his track. “I’m walking around Rockefeller Center, which is just the most majestic place in town. And I was like, ‘RockaFellaCenta.’ I think it just popped into my head. I was like, ‘Let me put this on a full-length album.’” Kotb started in 2007 as a host of “Today’s” first fourth-hour weekday morning, and reflected on her decadeslong career with the network in an emotional letter after announcing her departure earlier this year. “My time at NBC has been the longest professional love affair of my life,” she penned at the time. “But only because you’ve been beside me on this 26-year adventure. Looking back, the math is nuts. 26 years at NBC News — Ten years at ‘Dateline,’ seven on the seven o’clock hour, sixteen on the ten o’clock hour.” “I’m picturing your faces and your families and all the ways you’ve lifted me up and inspired me,” Kotb noted. “That’s my heart singing. So many of my professional relationships have become some of my most cherished friendships.” Though she’s been thinking of the move “for a while,” she realized she’s truly ready for a change in her life. “My sixtieth birthday celebration on the Plaza felt like a shift,” Kotb concluded. “Like a massive, joyful YES, you are! I saw it all so clearly: My broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie. I will miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited.” The anchor then spoke candidly about her decision on air. “I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” she said through tears. “I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, ‘This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.’ And I thought it can’t get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on.” Kotb, who is mom to daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, admitted that this pivot is meant to help her focus on her family more. “Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have,” she continued. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.” Craig Melvin will succeed her as Savannah Guthrie’s “Today” co-anchor, and the fourth hour will then become “Today With Jenna & Friends.” Rotating guests will continue to host until Kotb’s replacement is chosen. The 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs on NBC and Peacock Thursday, November 28, at 8:30 a.m. ET.

It’s social media decision time for state and local governments: follow the post-election masses to Bluesky or sit tight and see what happens. The Washington Metro — the district’s public transit system — . So does the , which had 743 followers and 12 posts as of Friday afternoon. That compares to more than 214,000 followers on X and a seemingly endless list of posts. And now New York City is getting into the Bluesky game. Mayor Eric Adams — dealing with , and on bribery and other charges — recently told agencies under his command to . Those accounts would join the more than 20 million Bluesky users, . More than 2.5 million people have joined since the election, reportedly annoyed at the politics of Trump-supporting Elon Musk, the owner of X, which was previously known as Twitter — along with what many new Bluesky users have described as the “toxic” feel at the Musk social media platform. Bluesky was born from Twitter in 2019, but these days, the two platforms are not only competitors but offer people a way to signal their political stance just via the decision about which one to use. Now state and local governments face their own choices about how to respond — and added risk from people bent on using the rising service for mischief or crime. In Minneapolis, officials are “establishing a city primary account and do not have immediate plans outside of that,” Allen Henry, the city’s media relations coordinator, told via email on Friday. As Bluesky grows and changes, the city will keep its eye on it, he said, and take a “larger approach” if that proves necessary. “Ultimately, our goal is to communicate to and inform the public,” Henry said. “For communications to be most effective, we need to communicate in the spaces our audience is and in ways that resonate with them.” In Austin, Texas, known for its tech-heavy economy and progressive culture, city officials are taking a slower approach, according to Memi Cárdenas, Austin’s media relations manager. “Bluesky is a relatively new social media platform, and we have not yet done a thorough review of how it could fit in our communications strategy as a city,” she said. Austin relies on X, especially during emergencies. The city has more than 213,000 followers on Musk’s social media platform, and reaching that mark via a new tool would require “notable resources to establish, which include staff capacity, developing internal usage policies, researching platform rules and regulations, ensuring accessibility and archiving,” Cárdenas said via email. Much like the case in Minneapolis, officials in Austin will monitor Bluesky, which stands as a communications option for the future. Making a change to the new platform — any new platform — would involve a review from the city’s social media committee and a recommendation to the city’s communications director for approval or denial, she said. Even so, the city’s lack of presence on Bluesky hasn’t stopped people bent on fraud from creating “a couple of profiles impersonating the official city of Austin, and we are working to remove those accounts from the platform,” Cárdenas added. More such instances for other agencies seems probable, . In fact, it attracted an onslaught of impersonators after the service in 2022. New targets and updated features always attract criminals, vandals and other such people. Neither Bluesky nor press officials in the New York Mayor’s Office responded immediately to request for comment. Nor did X — since taking over the platform, Musk has . While a count of public agencies so far on Bluesky was not available, at least one social media expert has noticed changes when it comes to government activity there. “I have noticed government agencies and quasi-governments adding Bluesky accounts, especially ones that often need to get updated info to audiences quickly such as transportation authorities,” said Megan Duncan, an associate professor at Virginia Tech who researches digital media and associated topics. She anticipates that as audiences become ever more fragmented, governments might use Bluesky to make sure they are reaching as many people as possible, especially when it comes to information deemed urgent. “But if these [agencies] already had an X account, the good news is that the formatting of information and text is similar enough that it lowers the burden on social media managers,” she told . For those agencies that join Bluesky now, their “early-adopter presence” could bring more engagement and growth than will be the case for latter users. That’s not the only potential benefit of joining now. “It’s also the optimal time to get the prime handles, which simultaneously can signal credibility and prevent bad-faith actors from snagging them and impersonating government agencies and politicians,” Duncan said via email. Bluesky, after all, offers no verified badges as other social media platforms do. Governments that act early enough, though, can set up domains and handles that signal credibility to their audiences, she said. Those audiences, of course, will at the same time be developing their own “literacy skills” for Bluesky, learning its rhythms and players, and figuring out who deserves their trust. Smaller public agencies will probably face the biggest challenges. “The technical skills to set up and host your own government domain may be a barrier for entry for smaller government agencies,” she said. “I’ve noticed even larger agencies like New York City’s MTA is on the common server. Alternatively, Washington’s Metro has established its own domain.” So will Bluesky endure, or will enthusiasm fade as the election recedes? That’s one of the uncertainties that will occupy social media managers and communications professionals at public agencies in the coming months. Some governments have already made up their mind against Bluesky, at least for now: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer that departments under his supervision will stick with X because that’s where people are. Government technology suppliers face the same issue. A spokesperson for industry giant Tyler Technologies said Friday that while the company uses X and not Bluesky, that all depends on where public agency clients and other audiences are. Finances, moderation and having an ample and capable workforce still stand as question marks for Bluesky, Duncan said. “As more opinion leaders and authorities join, Bluesky feels like it’s going to establish itself as the place for microblogging,” Duncan said. “But, I’m not yet ready to call Bluesky the marketplace winner alternative to X because of the revenue piece.”